Community Voice and Compassion

Jenna Paritee: My name is Jenna Paritee, and I am the Communications Coordinator for the Healthy Start Technical Assistance and Support Center, also known as Healthy Start TASC. Here at Healthy Start TASC, we provide training and technical assistance to support Healthy Start, Healthy Start  – Enhanced, and Catalyst grantees in improving their service delivery,…

Healthy Start: Centering Communities to Save Infants’ Lives 

Healthy Start is the only federal program focused explicitly on preventing infant mortality. Launched by President George H.W. Bush in 1991, it has worked in communities with infant mortality rates at least 1.5 times the national average, tailoring services to local needs—from mental health support after disasters to prenatal education and postpartum care. Today, 115…

Increasing and Deepening Connections for Children’s Health

Increasing and Deepening Connections for Children’s Health

Within that tenet, many public health professionals, including me, have championed the importance of bringing “uncommon partners” to the table: the people and organizations that may not first come to mind, but whose perspectives broaden and deepen our discussion. NICHQ and our partner organizations have worked hard to expand these voices and perspectives to ensure…

NICHQ Employee Spotlight: Karen Chustz

Full name and title: Karen Chustz, MSW Job Title: Senior Project Director (Supporting Healthy Start Performance Project)  Time with NICHQ: 1.5 months (Joined NICHQ October 2024)  How has your background led you to join a children’s health organization?  My journey to join NICHQ has been influenced not only by my professional training and experience as a macro-focused…

NAPPSS-IIN Public Media National Action Team Activity: Safe Infant Sleep Registry

Introduction Sudden Unexpected Infant Death (SUID), or sleep-related infant death, is the single leading cause of death for infants between 1 month and 1 year of age. Every year, about 3,500 healthy babies die in their sleep, and their families suffer the devastating heartbreak of losing a child. Many of these deaths can be prevented….